The Salt Spring National Art Prize Societyaward
The Salt Spring National Art Prize
- Who Can Apply: Canadian citizens or permanent residents aged 18 or older as of January 1, 2026.
- The Focus: A biennial juried open competition and finalist exhibition (Salt Spring Island, BC, fall 2027) for new Canadian contemporary visual art in any medium, completed on or after January 1, 2026.
- The Funding: $52,000 CAD in awards: $20,000 Salt Spring Prize, $6,000 residency, four $4,000 Juror's Choice Awards and $10,000 in People's Choice Awards; finalists get shipping (up to $200) and shipping insurance (up to $100) subsidies. Entry fee $35 CDN per work; 35% commission on sales.
- Key Requirements: Separate online entry per work (up to three; only one may be selected): contact details and Canadian citizenship/permanent residency attestation; title, year, category, edition, media, dimensions, price and framing; anonymous artist's statement (maximum 100 words); 1–3 JPEG images (maximum 24MB each); $35 CDN fee per entry.
Applications openJanuary 3, 2027
DeadlineMonday, May 31, 2027
Award$52,000 CAD in total awards: Salt Spring Prize (Joan McConnell Award) $20,000; Salt Spring National Art Prize Residency $6,000 (finalists apply); four Juror's Choice Awards of $4,000 each; People's Choice Awards totalling $10,000 ($3,500, $2,500, $1,500, Youth vote $1,500, Online People's Choice $1,000). Awards for collaborative works are split equally.
Application feeCA$35
Program datesFriday September 24, 2027, to Sunday October 17, 2027
Locationnational
ParticipationRemote
Career stagesAll Stages
DisciplinesContemporary visual arts, 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional works in any medium
Age range18–
Application notesEnter through the SSNAP online entry form (ArtistQuarter); submissions open January 3, 2027. A separate entry and a separate $35 CDN payment are required for each work: up to three works per artist, of which only one can be selected. You can save an entry and return to it. Each entry needs: (1) contact details under your real name (name, mailing address, phone, email; names of all artists for a collaboration; website and social handles optional); (2) attestation of Canadian citizenship or permanent residency (proof may be requested); (3) title of work, with no identifying information; (4) year of completion (substantially completed on or after January 1, 2026; for editions, the first print/cast dated on or after that); (5) category: 2-dimensional wall-mounted, 3-dimensional wall-mounted or 3-dimensional free-standing; (6) edition number for original prints, photographs, computer-generated or computer-altered images and cast sculptures (editions no greater than five; unique works are 1/1); (7) media and substrate; (8) width, height and depth including framing, plus weight for 3D work. Size limits: 2D and 3D wall-mounted work no larger than 48 in wide x 72 in high x 48 in deep (1.2 x 1.8 x 1.2 m); free-standing work must fit inside 54 in wide x 54 in deep x 96 in high (1.4 x 1.4 x 2.4 m); (9) price, which cannot change after submission (the work must be for sale; 35% commission); (10) framed or unframed (frames on work at the 48 in width limit should not exceed 2 in); (11) an Artist's Statement about the submitted work, maximum 100 words, anonymous (no name, resume, education, website or past exhibitions), disclosing any AI or digitally assisted process and crediting any source work; (12) 1 to 3 digital images, JPEG only, maximum 24MB each: the primary image must show the entire work exactly as it would be exhibited (framed if it will be framed), with no people and no other works in view; (13) payment of $35 per entry by PayPal, credit card or Interac e-transfer (to accounting@saltspringartprize.ca with the artist's name and invoice number), received before 8PM PDT on May 31, 2027. Help is available from info@saltspringartprize.ca until 8PM PDT May 28, 2027; changes cannot be made within 72 hours of the deadline; no substitutions; fees are non-refundable. The jury sees only the images, dimensions and Artist's Statement. Note: the Submissions Guidelines say to contact the committee if a free-standing work weighs more than 150 lb, while the Conditions of Entry say more than 200 lb.
Contactinfo@saltspringartprize.ca
The Salt Spring National Art Prize Society
Organization based in Salt Spring Island